Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Hello and happy hump day everyone. It's a beautiful Wednesday morning here in sunny Florida. A perfect day to share my Botanical Tea Wall Hanging inspired by a project I saw on Pinterest. Here's a peek at my project below, but make sure to go to Graphic 45's blog to see my original "Pinspiration" plus more close-ups photos and my YouTube video showing how it all came together. It was so much fun to make!

And this is such a treat: I received a lovely e-mail from my internet friend Linda when she saw my You Tube video over the summer. She was inspired by my project to create this lovely butterfly garden display of her own. It's true that Creativity is Contagious!

I love all the organic texture and love that went into Linda's beautiful piece, don't you?

Monday, October 27, 2014

If you're not a subscriber to Graphic 45's newsletter, you're missing out on early peeks at all kinds of projects before they post on their blog. Projects that come with full instructions and photos! So, I'm here to share a project I designed that was featured in the G45 newsletter over the weekend. And here's the link to the online version of the project worksheet for this creation. But make sure to subscribe to their blog feed so it comes to your e-mail inbox. You'll be glad you did!

The large Graphic 45 book box is the base and I designed this pop-up feature that creates a roof top, mimicking a doghouse.

Then you can collapse the roof and secure it with the attached metal keyhole embellishments. (not shown here). The box is the perfect size for the four cards and envelopes. The card-making instructions are also included in the project worksheet.

Hope you enjoy it and give it a try. It's a great gift idea for that pet-lover in your life!

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Another fabulous Fall day here in Florida, and another Compendium of Curiosities Challenge to try! Challenge #14 (we're rolling right along) is "Colored Crackle" and can be found on page 53 of the wonderful Compendium of Curiosities Vol. III book by non-other than Tim Holtz.

If you haven't purchased this book yet, well,... I have to wonder why. It's chock full of techniques and tips on how to use the products, with tons of inspirational samples inside. So, if you're one of those folks who stand in front of the Tim Holtz display at the craft store and wonder what the heck to do with all that vintage stuff, this is the book for you! You can get your copy at the store or you can order one signed my Tim himself. Just keep reading through my post to the end for all the details.

Now on to the challenge. Every other week, a challenge is presented and you are invited to join in the learning and fun, and possible win a prize! Details on that are also listed at the end of my post.

I can't wait to hang theses on my Christmas tree rather than the bush on the side of my house.

While I can't share the actual Colored Crackle technique here (that's for you to explore with your copy of the book) I can share a few tips and details about my ornaments. I started with the smallest wooden birdhouses I could find at my local craft store. These were $1.99 each and they are just under 3" tall. I used my pliers to pluck out the white rope pieces and will replace those with something pretty.

Before doing the Colored Crackle technique, I painted two coats of coordinating Distress Paint on each house as a base coat. Then I did the Colored Crackle technique.

I added the smallest mirrored star to the end of each perch, then began embellishing with a small wreath, tinsel twine, and Idustrious Stickers for the roof line. I thought I might do each house differently...

...but in the end, I decided for a cohesive look, so I changed only the style of stickers on the rooflines and kept everything else the same.

To match the look and feel of the tinsel and the industrious stickers, I colored some metal foliage pieces with Alcohol Ink Silver Mixative.

I adhered those to the front of my birdhouses along with some tiny frosted candy canes.

I thought they'd look extra cute with something pretty dangling off the bottoms, so I inserted an eye hook into each base...

...then connected a bauble with a silver jump ring.

I weaved some crinkle ribbon into the top of each roof's hole and grabbed the tails with my pliers inside the house and pulled through, tied a knot, then tied another length of ribbon into a bow and hot glued that to the top.

This was a quick and fun project that you could do with the family or friends during the holidays. Not difficult and very cute when all finished. I hope you'll give it a try--and if you do--please let me know. I'd love to see!

* * * * *

Do you have the fabulous Compendium of Curiosities Vol. III book by Tim Holtz? (the master of all things vintage and distressed.) If not, you can find one at your local craft store, scrapbook store, or you can get a signed copy by Tim himself by going here.You can find all the CC3 Challenge details and FAQs here. The lovely Linda Ledbetter is our hostess of this fun series of challenges, and all you have to do to participate is create your project, and upload to her site. Be sure, though, to read through all the FAQs so you're eligible to win...We're working our way through this fantastic book of techniques and tips, and challenging you to join in the fun. This round's challenge is sponsored by the great folks at The Funkie Junkie Boutique who have a fabulous gift voucher to give away to one lucky random winner. Also, the Curiosity Crew's Choice scores a giant prize pack of goodies straight from Tim and Mario!

And don't forget, you can find these great products I've used today at The Funkie Junkie online store.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Happy Friday all. Hope you've had a great week. My hubby has officially been retired for one full week and so far I haven't killed him. Actually, it's been really great. He's much happier now and that makes me even more happy. So life is good.

Today, I'm featured over on the Graphic 45 blog with my Halloween Mixed Media Box and Mini Album, created with An Eerie Tale collection and the new mixed media box. Be sure to hop over there and check it out and let us know what you think. I've got a Snapguide tutorial to go with it, so you can make your own. There's still another week before Halloween!

Monday, October 20, 2014

Happy Monday all, I hope you've had a great weekend. I certainly did, with two great classes and some family time.

My Friday Follies monthly club created this Fall Burlap home decor piece Friday morning. I have a tutorial here if you'd like to learn how to make your own.

There are 11 members in this group and we get together once a month on a Friday morning.

Everyone finished by noon and they seem pretty happy with their finished piece.

On Sunday afternoon, I held my Fall Workshop where we created three cards and one paper lantern using the Graphic 45 collection "An Eerie Tale" which works beautifully for not only Halloween projects but for Fall, too.

During the halfway point, I snapped a few quick photos.

Everyone is putting together their lanterns, while enjoying some snacks and conversation.

My entire living and dining space became the classroom. Not an uncommon occurrence here at the Green household.

See the curtain in the background? That leads to our Florida room (another name for an enclosed porch, here in Florida) which is filled with most of the living room furniture.

Adding the finishing touches to the paper lanterns.

Sorry for the blurry photo, but I had to share it. This is a great group of ladies who traveled all the way from Jacksonville, FL (about 3 hours away) to come to the workshop. We had a great time getting to know each other while crafting. A big thanks to Cindy Bosnyak and her Jacksonville gang and to my local friends who came to enjoy the class as well.

In between classes this weekend, I enjoyed some family time too...

Another blurry one. We were WAY up in the stands at this marching band competition watching Jamie in the Color Guard, and I'm trying to zoom with my iPhone. See her in the circle? This is right at the beginning of their show. I just can't bring myself to snap pictures during the show because I'm so focused on what she's doing and how the performance is going. I feel like I'll miss something. Viera High School did really well, placing 2nd in their class and 2nd overall in the competition. This was good practice for the main event coming in early November.

Earlier in the day before the competition, we enjoyed some time on the beach with Suki. We're lucky enough to live just a few minutes from Cocoa Beach and the Indian Harbor Beach area. There is a designated section of the beach for dogs, so we occasionally take Suki there for some sun and interaction.

She doesn't seem to mind the surf either. When it first rushes up she jumps a little, then she's fine.

A fabulous weekend indeed. I hope yours was too. Now it's back to the studio to work on some new ideas in my head. Thanks for stopping in today. Have a great day!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Thanks for all the nice comments on my Compendium of Curiosities III Challenge post the other day. As promised, for those of you who were kind enough to comment and also leave me a recipe for my Holiday Cocktail Book, I randomly drew the name of...

A lot of us have the cookie recipes stashed away in a book but holiday libations? Love that idea! Your cover looks amazing as well. I've got a Pinterest board full of tasty beverages. :) http://www.pinterest.com/ElvesInTheAttic/sip-slurp-chug-a-lugga/

Monday, October 13, 2014

Hello and Happy Monday, all! I know Mondays aren't everyone's favorite day, especially those who work full time. But maybe some creative inspiration will give you something to look forward to. I've designed this fun travel display box using Graphic 45's Come Away With Me collection. This would be a great display with a couple travel photos and memorabilia attached.

What some of you may not know is that I have had the honor this past year of designing additional projects on the side for Graphic 45 to teach around the globe. So oftentimes when you see photos of the Graphic 45 family teaching classes, those are by yours truly, as well as by my fellow design team buddy Denise Johnson. What a thrill to see folks in South Africa and Australia, and all over the U.S. enjoying those classes.

This travel display is just one of many I've designed. I hope you like it. I also wanted to let you know if you sign up to Graphic 45's newsletter on their blog, you'll get early notices of new releases, and you'll also get their monthly project newsletter early! My Come Away With Me Travel Box is the featured project in this month's newsletter, and has all the directions to make one yourself. So, hop over there at this link and print the PDF now. You can use the basic design with other papers or embellishments to suit your needs. Enjoy!

Saturday, October 11, 2014

It's time again for another great challenge from the fantastic technique book A Compendium of Curiosities Vol. III by non-other than Tim Holtz. We're on the 13th challenge and it's called Worn Cover which can be found on page 35 of the Compendium book. Have you been playing along? Even if you haven't, it's okay. You can jump in at any time! Just grab your book, try out the technique on a project, and upload it to the challenge here. It's a great way to learn new techniques and try products you might have previously been unsure how to use.

Remember there are specific rules you must follow in order to be entered in the challenge for a chance to win some fabulous goodies, so take a few minutes to read the rules here before you post. We on the Curiosity Crew have discovered some amazing projects submitted that didn't comply with the rules, and sadly have had to disqualify those entries. So be sure to read those rules.

For more info about this current challenge, keep reading to the end of my post today.

Okay, on to my project...

This challenge is more of a product intro rather than a specific technique. I selected the Worn Cover, Christmas Wishes to make a useful reference book of holiday cocktail recipes.

To adorn my cover, I used several Alterations dies (links below) to cut out festive holiday shapes like these poinsettias & leaves (the same die) and the number 25. Kraft Core card stock is perfect for sanding and distressing the flowers and leaves, and the 25 is covered with music note paper from the 8 x 8 Seasonal paper stash and I used the Merriment paper stash for the oval in the background. For dimension, all the shapes were also cut from Grungeboard except for the leaves. Oh, and that cocktail glass is a chipboard shape I found in the Michael's discount bin. A pack of 8 for a dollar. I painted it with Tarnished Brass Distress Paint and frosted the top with Distress Glitter.

I labeled my recipe book with this Observation Word Band and some pretty May Arts ribbon. The Crop-a-dile punches through the Worn Cover easily, and gold eyelets gave the holes a more finished look. I painted the word band's surface with Tarnish Brass Distress Paint and hand painted the recessed letters with red acrylic paint on a fine paintbrush.

I also used the Crop-a-dile to punch holes for the closure here. A hitch fastener on the cover and an elastic band comes around from the back cover.

As you'll see in a moment, I used the Large Ring Binder inside the book, affixed with a strong glue (E6000) then once the glue was dry, I weaved this pretty satin ribbon through and holes and tied them into a big bow at the outer spine. A trinket pin and jump ring are perfect for hanging my stamped red tag.

If you follow me on Pinterest, you may have noticed a lot of cocktail pinning this past week. I selected some great recipes for holiday cocktails that I'd like to try, then pulled the photos and text into Photoshop and printed them on matte photo paper. I cut tags from green Kraft Core card stock to adhere my recipes. (You can find me on Pinterest here.)

Inside I put the recipe tags into Page Pockets. This will now be a quick reference guide during the holidays when entertaining.

I have six recipes now, but eventually I'll add more. So if you have a favorite you'd like to share, I'd love to try it out and add it to my book. Just e-mail me at AnnetteGreen@me.com with your recipe OR send me the link in your comment if the recipe is online. For those who send me recipes, I'll put your names into a drawing for a small prize package. Keep watch on my blog Tuesday the 14th and I'll announce the winner there.

* * * * *

Do you have the fabulous Compendium of Curiosities Vol. III book by Tim Holtz? (the master of all things vintage and distressed.) If not, you can find one at your local craft store, scrapbook store, or you can get a signed copy by Tim himself by going here.You can find all the CC3 Challenge details and FAQs here. The lovely Linda Ledbetter is our hostess of this fun series of challenges, and all you have to do to participate is create your project, and upload to her site. Be sure, though, to read through all the FAQs so you're eligible to win...We're working our way through this fantastic book of techniques and tips, and challenging you to join in the fun. This round's challenge is sponsored by the great folks at Inspiration Emporium who have a fabulous gift voucher to give away to one lucky random winner. Also, the Curiosity Crew's Choice scores a giant prize pack of goodies straight from Tim and Mario!And don't forget, you can find these great products I've used today at InspirationEmporium.com.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Okay, I teased many of you the other day on Facebook about this BIG news and today I can finally share a sneaky peek! I was such a huge fan of Graphic 45's "A Place in Time" collection and was so sad to see it retire, because a calendar collection like that is something you can use every day and every year, year after year.
So what does the wonderful Graphic 45 company do? They fill our need with an even more beautiful calendar collection!
Introducing a sneak peek of "Time to Flourish."

(click on the photo to zoom in closer)

Let me just say that I am in the right business because when I see just this small sampling of this new collection, my heart literally sings, my eyes well up in happy tears, and my pulse races. Call me crazy, but this is how I feel about paper. But not just paper, Graphic 45 paper.
Watch the Graphic 45 blog starting next Monday through Thursday as they reveal the entire collection. And I'm betting there will be a chance to win it before you can buy it, so be sure to visit each day and leave a comment there.
My head is spinning with ideas now. I must go lie down.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

While I patiently wait to share some new projects I've been designing, I thought I'd have a Halloween project blitz today, sharing creations from my Halloween Past. (if you don't know it by now, I am a BIG Halloween fan.) I'll provide the links for each, since most of them have tutorials.

The first is something I created last year. A fun wall-hanging for the season, made with lots of Tim Holtz goodies. You can view the tutorial here.

I made this spooky house for my friend Patty last year. Although there's not a tutorial, per se, I've provided a description how I created it. See it here.

These fun tea-light/treat-holders were created with Graphic 45's Steampunk Spells, one of my all-time favorite Halloween collections. (I still use it!) If you go to this link, I share a tutorial and also some treat bags and a few Halloween cards too.

This was a postcard I created which was featured on the Ranger blog last year using a bunch of their great products. Be sure to visit this link for a tutorial.

This tombstone trio is one of my favorites! It's sitting here on display in my foyer right now. I give you a step-by-step to make one yourself right here. And here's the original post with lots of close-up photos and details.

These little black felt baskets were a Dollar Spot find at Target a few years ago. I used more felt and Tim Holtz Alterations dies to add the images to the fronts, and Dollar Tree's vintage candies and snacks to fill them. A quick and frugal craft project. More here.

These are some Halloween ATCs I created and swapped on Tim Holtz's Caribbean Cruise back in 2011. No tutorial for these, sorry. But here's the original post.

This is also on display in my home right now. A Halloween printer's tray filled with tons of Tim Holtz goodness. Lots of close-ups and details here.

This Halloween configurations box is a blast from my past and makes it way out of the attic every Halloween to display for all to see. I think this might be my all-time favorite Halloween creation. Check out lots of close-ups and details here.

I'll end with this Steampunk Spells mini album I made last year. This one has probably gotten the most response of all my YouTube videos. There are two parts, one is a walk-through and the other is how to assemble the spine. Check the link out here.

That's it for me today. I hope you are inspired and try one of these projects yourself. If you've already done so, post a comment to let me know. I'd love to hear about it! Have a great day.

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About Me

Former graphic designer on a creative journey in life designing, teaching and sharing the Graphic 45 love. Mother to an amazing daughter in art college, wife of 25 years to Paul, and owner of our sweet shy Sheltie named Suki. We live in Melbourne, Florida in the beautiful Suntree community.